No thesis topic has been selected at this point. However, there are several areas that both interst me and match the strengths of the Department of Pharmacology. For instance, studies of receptors and signal transduction are well represented in the Department. Through the isolation, characterization and study of the properties of receptors, normal cellular processes and alterations associated with neuropsychiatric disease can be better understood. By using the currently available techniques of molecular biology, receptors can be isolated, cloned, and selectively expressed in stable cell lines. Further, pathological states related to receptor malfunction can be examined and newer, more specific therapies can be devised. These therapies should increase the specificity and effectiveness of treatments by targeting specific systems and thereby reducing harmful or undesirable side effects. . This area of research has obvious repercussions in almost every area of medicine, including psychiatry, neurology, endocrinology, and cardiology.